In Love & Volleyball
by Reyana Ashaete
Summary: Serena's a volleyball player for her high school, Darien is the new teacher's aide. With hate and dislike already known between the two, can sparks still ignite on the court?
1. Of Bruises & Bullies

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon nor do I own Supergirl.  
  
(Slightly) IMPORTANT Author's Note: Hey, everyone! This is my first SM fic and please critique me anyway you can. This is a slightly AU fic set in America so there's no Sailor Moon or Tuxedo Mask and whatnot. Serena and the others are 17 and seniors in high school while Darien is in college and about 23. I absolutely love feedback so please review!  
  
'I'm supergirl  
And I'm here  
To save the world  
And I wanna know  
Who's gonna save me?  
I'm supergirl  
And I'm here to  
Save the world  
And I wanna know  
Why I feel so alone'  
- 'Supergirl' by Krystal Harris  
  
Chapter One: Of Bruises and Bullies  
  
Serena Riley, a petite blonde with her hair set in two ponytail buns, stood primly on the court and giggled good-naturedly with her friend, Mina Harper. They were completely absorbed in their own little world, practically oblivious to everything going on around them.  
  
"Then he asked me out!" bubbled Mina excitedly with a wide grin.  
  
"Are you serious?" Serena questioned with wide, animated eyes. "Andrew asked you out?"  
  
A shadow of a frown appeared across her best friend's face, but it quickly turned into a determined smile. "Well, not in so many words, but basically he did."  
  
"Mina," Serena said in a disbelieving tone, "What exactly did he say?"  
  
Mina began a long detailed lecture of her flirtatious exchange with the Crown Arcade worker. Serena listened diligently at first, but something in the back of her mind pestered at her. It felt as if she should be doing something important. . .  
  
'Oh, well', Serena mentally shrugged it off, 'It couldn't possibly be that important.'  
  
She continued to listen to her friend's story, but was suddenly surprised to hear Mina break off in the middle of a sentence and scream, "Serena, look out!"  
  
With a confused look on her face, Serena turned around and was struck with hard flying volleyball in the face. She fell ungracefully to the ground and hid her face in her hands. Crystalline azure eyes watered with pain as her forehead and nose throbbed with agony at the impact.  
  
"Riley!" Coach Lloyd called from the other side of the court, jogging to the fallen girl. She knelt beside her and gently pried Serena's hands from her face.  
  
"Oh, Serena!" Mina cried worriedly, dropping down to her knees to join the girl, "I should've paid better attention."  
  
"Oww," moaned Serena while gingerly touching her forehead. Coach Lloyd shook her head exasperation and sighed.  
  
"Honestly, Riley," she stood up and eased her athlete to her feet, "What am I going to do about you?"  
  
Placing a cheeky smile, Serena grinned and beared her pain. "You'd be old and grumpy."  
  
Mina giggled and nodded her head in quick agreement. "She's got you there, Coach."  
  
Robin Lloyd muttered a few things under her breath about silly athletes, but then said aloud, "Well, it looks like you're going to have a bruise the size of Iowa on your forehead due to your carelessness."  
  
Serena winced at the thought of a bruise marring her pale face. Already she could picture the blueish purple mark growing rapidly in size across the forehead. "Yay?" she replied halfheartedly, pouting slightly.  
  
"Hmph, don't give me that look," Coach Lloyd snorted blankly, "You're the one who was to busy tittering like mindless birds. Just for that, you and Harper have sixteen lines, starting now. Then I'll get you some ice."  
  
Mina and Serena grumbled at the punishment although both knew it was well deserved. Taking their places at the sideline of the volleyball court, they began running from one side to the other. The two girls were members of the Gentry High School Lady Jaguars Varsity Volleyball team. Mina had long been in love with the sport since grade school, but Serena recently fell for it in her freshman year. No longer was she the klutzy (of course, she still has the occasional klutz attack every now and again) and unfocused girl she was in junior high, but a dedicated and graceful athlete.  
  
With this new devotion, it caused her to become slightly more punctual and care about her grades. Serena's friends were all surprised, but now unhappy about the change. They have never seen that much light and passion in Serena's eyes whenever she played volleyball.  
  
"It's all your fault, Mina," Serena pouted a little while later when practice was over. They had both changed out of their black and royal blue athletic uniform into their regular clothes. Together, they walked leisurely towards the arcade, legs slightly sore from the extra lines.  
  
"Hmph, it's just as much your fault as it is mine!" Mina mock glared and threw a slender arm around her friend's shoulders, "Besides, you know you still love me."  
  
"No, I don't." snorted Serena, trying hard to pull away from Mina. Instead, it ended up in a tickle war with both laughing like crazy and Serena trying hard to get away from the other blonde.  
  
"Sorry, Mins," she called over her shoulder, sprinting fast, "I'm just to fast for you."  
  
She may have been to fast for one of her best friend's but the talented volleyball player wasn't at all invincible to the mighty green and black wall she ran into. Then again. . . It wasn't at all a wall, but the well built chest of the one and only Darien Shields.  
  
"Still can't watch where you're going, Meatball Head?" his deep voice rumbled almost making her knees go weak.  
  
Almost.  
  
Serena stood up straight and gently touched the ugly bruise on her forehead. "Next time get out of the way!" she growled.  
  
Darien didn't answer. He simply looked at bruise with an arched brow.   
  
"What are you staring at, jerk?" Serena glared as she became uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Mina, on the other hand, stood a little off to the side, surveying the scene in front of her. She covered her mouth to keep her giggles under control, but it was become harder by the minute as Darien just continued staring at Serena.  
  
Mina had to admit that the two would make a cute couple. They balanced each other out perfectly. They were like day and night, meant for each other. The only problem was that their personalities were as different. It was like trying to be mix water and oil. If only they could see past each other's flaws and first impression to actually get to know the other person.   
  
The two stared each other down in silence eeriely resembling an old western showdown. Mina faintly wondered when they would pull out the guns. The silence was soon broken when Darien, being the idiot that he was, opened his mouth with a remark.  
  
"Who did you run into to get that?" was his snide reply.   
  
She saw red.   
  
"You creep!" Serena yelled, enraged at the insult. "Just because you're always in the way doesn't mean everyone else is as dumb as you are!"  
  
"I'm in the way?" Darien scoffed blankly, "You're the blonde twister that just comes out of nowhere attacking people."  
  
Stomping her foot in frustration, Serena glowered darkly at him. Darien only gazed back, amusement twinkling merrily in his ocean hued eyes. "Ooh," she screeched angrily, "I cannot stand you!"  
  
Darien and Mina both winced at the level of intensity her voice reached. 'If he's smart,' she thought warily, her head begin to ache. Unfotunately for her, Darien continued to taunt Serena.  
  
He chuckled unkindly and shot back, "Keep talking like that, Meatball Head, and you'll never get a boyfriend."  
  
Serena stopped and just gawked at the dark haired man. First with shock and soon the hurt followed closely behind, her porcelain features no longer contorted in the angry scowl. Turning on her heel, she marched off with her head held high although her pride was severely wounded. "Serena!" Mina called to her friend, but it fell to deaf ears. She turned to Darien and glared. "That was low, Darien! Even for you."  
  
With a sigh, she rushed to catch up with her friend in hopes of comforting her, leaving Darien silent. A troubled look crossed his face before quickly vanishing. 'Oh, well,' he thought callously to himself, 'Meatball Head's just a teenager. She'll get over it.'  
  
But deep down, very deep down, he didn't like the look of distress on Serena's usually so cheerful face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N's: Well, there's this first chapter. I really hope you like it, and if not, oh well. Remember to press that lil' blue button and review! Tell me what you think and all that nice stuff! =D  
  
Until the next chapter,  
  
Rayana Ashaete 


	2. Of Idiots & Ice Cream

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Miss Independent.  
  
Author's Notes: Here's the second chapter of 'In Love & Volleyball'! This chapter is slightly longer than the first since I'm trying to work on the length. For those of you who know volleyball, I know it's a very unrealistic that Serena would make the position of middleblocker, but let's think about this way. She's a senior in high school now, and I want to make her at least about five foot six. I know it takes away alot from the canon series, but oh well. My position is middleblocker, and I figured it would be easier to write how she plays if I know from experience. As for the people who have no clue about volleyball, I included some volleyball terms at the end of the chapter. Now, on to the story!   
  
'Miss independent  
Miss self-sufficient  
Miss keep your distance  
Miss unafraid  
Miss out of my way  
Miss don't let a man interfere, no  
Miss on her own  
Miss almost grown  
Miss never let a man help her off her throne  
So, by keeping her heart protected  
She'd never ever feel rejected  
Little miss apprehensive  
Said ooh, she fell in love'  
  
-'Miss Independent' by Kelly Clarkson  
  
Chapter Two: Of Idiots and Ice Cream  
  
Serena sat on her the floor of her room, staring mournfully at the mirror in her slender hand. Her reflection was gazed sweetly and innocently in return, yet the bruise leered at her viciously. She threw down the mirror in disgust and pouted.  
  
'Meatball Head, you'll never get a boyfriend.' Darien's words echoed ominously in her mind. Serena snorted and moved to lay down comfortably on the carpet. "I can too get a boyfriend," she reassured herself, still somewhat sensitive from his remark, "After all, how can guys not want me? I'm not unattractive and I'm easy to get along with it."  
  
Her musings were only met by silence.  
  
Frustrated with the hush, Serena sat up again and angrily slammed her fist down on her bed which caused everything on it to bounce and joggle. "Darien's just an idiot who has no idea what he's talking about!" she exclaimed heatedly. Pillows flopped a bit, the pink covers with white bunnies wrinkled, and a plushie of a black cat with a crescent moon flew towards her.  
  
Where it then promptly smacked poor Serena upside the head. . . . .  
  
. . . .  
  
in the same spot her new bruise was . . . .  
  
. . . .  
  
which elicited a pained scream from the infamous Meatball Head.  
  
"Serena!" Ilene Riley called irritably from downstairs, "Keep it down or the whole city will hear you!"  
  
Serena glowered crossly at the kitty plushie. "You're all against me, aren't you?"  
  
The cat just stared at her, eyes twinkling from the light.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At lunch the next day, Serena and her friends bubbled gleefully as teenage girls would outside at their table. Conversations of the nearing Homecoming game was the topic of the day for not only the boys, but the girls also. While the rowdy guys talked about football, the dreamy eyed young women talked about their dresses and the dance.  
  
"I saw the perfect dress at this boutique!" Lita informed radiantly, face glowing with excitement.  
  
"What does it look like?" Amy prodded, somewhat interested, even though her face was still hidded behind a chemistry book.  
  
"It's a forest green color, and...and," giggled Lita, "Aw, it's to hard to explain! I'll show it to you all when we go shopping this weekend."  
  
"Alright!" Mina pumped a fist in the air and winked, "Shopping!"  
  
Raye rolled her eyes at the other girl's enthusiasm as stated bluntly, "Guys, I think we need to bring a leash with us this weekend."  
  
"Oh?" Amy looked up curiously from her heavy book, "Is it for the dog you found yesterday?"  
  
"No, of course not," Raye waved a dismissive hand and gave a slight smirk, "It's for Mina."  
  
"Ye- WHAT?" Mina demanded. Serena giggled from behind her hand as she watched Raye and Mina get into another one of their famous bickering. Back in junior high, it would usually have been her and Raye arguing, but as Serena became more dedicated to volleyball, Raye decided Mina was more fun to argue with.  
  
Ignoring the two, Lita turned to Serena and grinned, "So have you found a dress?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head sadly, "No, I pulled a ditz moment and totally forgot about Homecoming."  
  
Lita put a comforting arm around Serena's shoulders and said, "Don't worry about it. When we go shopping this weekend, we'll find you a great dress!"  
  
"You promise?"  
  
"Cross my heart and hope to die!"  
  
"Besides, Serena," Amy spoke up with a soft smile, "you have been swamped with work and volleyball."  
  
"Volleyball?" Mina's head cocked to the side when she heard the magic word, "Did somebody say volleyball?"  
  
"You're so nosy!" Raye grumbled with her arms crossed, luring Mina back into their quarrel.  
  
"AM NOT!" she shot back childishly.  
  
"Anyway, speaking of the v-word," Lita said loudly over their friends boisterous yells, "How's it going?"  
  
"Our next game is against King's Lady Bulldogs." Serena smiled widely, "We're on a winning streak so far."  
  
"Awesome!" the brunette gushed energetically, "We'll be sure to be there to cheer you on!"  
  
From the corner of their eyes, Serena and Lita both saw that Amy had buried herself again in that book of hers and decided to take action.  
  
"So, Amy," the blonde said slyly, mischeif glittering in her sky blue eyes, "Got a date for homecoming?"  
  
Amy's head immediately shot up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. "Wh-What?" she sputtered.  
  
"Yeah, Ames," Lita joined in playfully, "Asked anyone out yet?"  
  
Amy blinked a few times and swallowed before answering. "Umm..."  
  
To Amy, it looked like her two friends were slowly advancing towards her with predatory like looks. She kept scooting away until she finally bumped into Raye's back who was still arguing with Mina.   
  
"Aw, don't be shy, Amy!" Serena smiled wolfishly.  
  
"Yeah, we won't tell." Lita nodded in agreement, "Got anyone in mind?"  
  
"Well," Amy relented with a heavy sigh, "there's Greg. . ."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Robin Lloyd was usually a level headed woman. Barely into her midthirties, she was still fairly attractive and charming. That is, unless she's coaching her volleyball girls. At the moment, her wavy dark hair was falling haphazardly from her bun and an exapserated scowl adorned her china doll face.  
  
"Riley! Harper! Baker!" she barked gruffly, crossing the court to where three of her nine players practiced their warm-ups. Three pairs of brilliant, innocent eyes quickly turned their gaze upon their coach who was quickly descending upon them.   
  
"What is it, Coach Lloyd?" Mina questioned angelicly, holding the volleyball from bouncing.  
  
"You know full well what you three were doing," Robin said, becoming extremely vexed.  
  
"We were just doing warm ups like you said," Serena answered with wide eyes. Robin heaved the heaviest of sighs and reached behind Karen Maxton and Serena to only pull back an open manga.  
  
"Hmm, Sailor Moon, huh?" she said as she flipped through the pages. "You three owe me lines at the end of practice."  
  
Groans and grumbles came from the three girls. They watched in misery as their coach became very interested in their beloved manga. Returning to their warm-ups, Serena could vaguly hear Coach Lloyd reading aloud to herself and giggling. "Oh, that Tuxedo Mask!" she giggled.  
  
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Serena muttered to herself, moving her body into the standard ready position of volleyball.  
  
"I told you she'd catch us!" Molly Baker murmured with a pout.  
  
"It's all Mina's fault." Serena countered while rolling her eyes.  
  
"Was not!" argued the other blonde, "Why did I listen to you two? I could've used this time to work on my setting!"  
  
Again, Serena rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "And I could've been working on my hitting!"   
  
"Like you're so important," Mina mumbled as she tossed the volleyball into the air and smoothly passed it to Molly.  
  
"I'm the middleblocker!" she screeched while recieving the pass from Molly and transferred it back to her other friend, "Of COURSE I'm important!"  
  
"I'm the setter," Mina shot back and passed the ball back to Serena, "I'm important too, ya know."  
  
With a frustrated sigh that could almost match Coach Lloyd's, Molly promptly spiked Serena's set hard into the court. "Will you two shut it?"   
  
Unphased by the ferocity in the spike, Serena and Mina just stared at her for a few moments before yelling simultaneously, "SHE STARTED IT!"  
  
"GIRLS!" Coach shouted from the other side of the court, very upset that she had was pulled away from her new manga.  
  
"Sorry, Coach!" three voices apologized in unison.  
  
After warm-ups had been completed, and all nine volleyball Lady Jaguars were prepared for practice, Robin decided to show her girls a new offense for them. Originally, they had used the six-two offense which had two setters opposite with each other. The first setter would play the position while the other would play hitter, and when a full rotation occurred they would switch. It was a good offense, but the girls didn't seem to reach their full teamworking potential with it.   
  
"Today, I'll teach you the five-one offense," Robin explained and positioned the girls on the court. "While the six-two had two setters, five-one will have one setter all around and everyone else will be hitters."  
  
"It's an easy play, but it will require a lot of switching to get to the correct spots for your position," she continued from the center form the court, "First, I'll teach you the offense."  
  
"Harper, since you're one of our strongest servers, I'll start you off in left front and you'll be our setter. You've got a big job to take care of. Baker, middle front, and Riley, left front. In right back will be Roberts, center back, Zepeda, and Maxton in left back. After Roberts serves, Riley and Baker will switch places so that Riley can serve as middleblocker."  
  
She continued on explaining the different switching procedures and the positions for about a good half hour before they actually practice it a bit.   
  
"Remember, the ball will always come back. Never doubt that." Robin said at the end of practice with her players circling her, "Our goal is to get the second hit to Harper so she can set it to the front row hitters to go spike it over."  
  
"It's all about the middle blockers!" Serena and Janéy Roberts high fived each other and winked. Coach Lloyd laughed lightly, yet still rolled her eyes.  
  
"Now our next game is in two days. All we have is tomorrow morning's practice before the big game." said their coach enthusiastically, "Those Bulldogs won't know what hit them!"  
  
The girls all whooped excitedly as they felt the rush of the upcoming game run through them. Robin put out her hand in the center of the circle, and it was quickly covered by the hands of her players.  
  
"Bump, set, go for the kill!" they shouted loudly as they usually did at the end of practice. Serena grinned widely, feeling so much at one with her teammates and her coach. All thoughts of the moron Darien had long disappeared and was replaced with feelings of pure bliss from a hard practice. Too bad it was long lived.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serena and Mina walked into Crown Arcade still dressed in their royal blue work out shirts and black spandex volleyball shorts. Their black kneepads were pulled down to their ankles in their customary rest position.Serena adjusted her azure athletic bag at her side, wiping away a bead of sweat that had formed at her forehead. Their friends waved from where that sat at their usual booth.  
  
"Hey, Serena, Mina!" they greeted them cheerfully. Standing in front of the table, Serena smiled and stretched out her arms.  
  
"Hi, everyone!" she said brightly.  
  
"Wow, Serena," Andrew exclaimed in surprise, "you look like you've just had a heck of a work out."  
  
"I did," she grinned at him while she put down her bag, "Mina and I just got out of volleyball practice."  
  
"You two are on the volleyball team?" he questioned, eyes wide.  
  
"You better believe it!" Mina replied with a wink as she gave out the victory symbol.  
  
Lita's emerald eyes glittered happily and she chirped proudly, "They're on the varsity team,"   
  
"Undefeated," Amy chimed in when she finally put down her book. She adjusted her glasses and beamed. Mina and Serena blushed at the praise.  
  
Andrew was very happy to hear that Serena and Mina were star atheletes and commened, "You girls must be really good then! I guess I'll have to see one of your games, huh?"  
  
Mina took this chance to get in some brownie point, and immediately latched onto his arm. "We have on this coming Thursday. You're welcome to come!"  
  
"Sure, I'll do my best to cheer you two on."  
  
"There she goes again," Raye muttered in mock aggitation.  
  
"Aw, Raye," Serena patted the priestess' head who promptly swatted the offending hand away, "You know you're proud of her."  
  
"Then again, no one could be proud of you, Meatball Head," a familiar voice zined unkindly from the door. She looked up and saw Darien Shields smirking at her with his infamous jacket and shades.  
  
"You're such a jerk, Darien!" shrieked Serena, glaring as hard as she could.  
  
He looked her over for a second, taking in her outfit, and arched a dark brow, "What on earth are you wearing?"  
  
Although Darien had made the statement with spite, his mind had other ideas. Creamy mile long legs tantalized him. The gentle curve of her breast was accented by the light shirt she wore. It was no use to call her Meatball Head at the moment since her long luxurious hair was tied back in a long braid that swished merrily around her. To put it in one word, she was beautiful. Mentally shaking himself, Darien continued on with his slightly cruel teasing.  
  
The minute he said that, she became very conscious of her clothes. Her ebony shorts were incredibly tiny and tight so that it would be easier for her to move. She tugged at her blue shirt to help cover her a bit more when she realized she still had her dark blue wrist stabilizer on that covered her wrist and palm, leaving her thumb and fingers bare. It kept her wrist from getting most sprains, and it provided some cushioning and protection when she spiked a ball.  
  
"It's clothes, you idiot!" Serena retorted sarcastically, taking a seat next to Raye, "I'm sure you know what those are, don't you?"  
  
"Apparently he must be blind too," she stated to her friend, fingering her braid, "especially since he can't seem to notice that my hair AREN'T in my usual buns."  
  
From then on, she ignored him and only talked directly to her friends or Andrew. Darien only shook his head, continued with his smirking, and took a seat at the counter. "I swear Meatball Head, you get weirder everyday." he countered. Within his earshot, he heard the blonde beauty snort and said loudly to Andrew,  
  
"I'll have one chocolate sundae. I think I deserve it after dealing with that creep over there!"  
  
The whole room with the exception of Serena and Darien sweatdropped at the remark.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
*fans self*   
  
There you have it! I tried to make this as long as possible, so please review to make me happy for all of my hardwork! I'll try to update as soon as possible alright?  
  
Terms taken from www.volleyball.com  
Volleyball Terms:  
  
ATTACKER - Also "hitter" or "spiker." A player who attempts to hit a ball offensively with the purpose of terminating play in his or her team's favor.   
  
FIVE-ONE – A 6-player offensive system that uses five hitters and one setter.  
  
FOREARM PASS (PASS) - Join your arms from the elbows to the wrists and strike the ball with the fleshy part of your forearms in an underhand motion.   
  
HITTER - Also "spiker" or "attacker"   
  
KILL - An attack that results in an immediate point or side out.   
  
READY POSITION - The flexed, yet comfortable, posture a player assumes before moving to contact the ball.  
  
SET - The tactical skill in which a ball is directed to a point where a player can spike it into the opponent's court.   
  
SETTER – the player who has the 2nd of 3 contacts of the ball who "sets" the ball with an "Overhand Pass" for a teammate to hit. The setter normally runs the offense.  
  
SIX-TWO – A 6-player offense using 2 setters opposite one another in the rotation. Setter 1 becomes a hitter upon rotating into the front row as setter 2 rotates into the back row and becomes the setter.  
  
~Shout-Outs~  
  
Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: I updated for you, Namiko, dear! Tell me what you think, alrighty?  
  
Spellcastre: Thanks for supporting me in all due!  
  
Tenken no Tenshi: Dude, you're such a sweetie! Your review was such a booster for me. Yeah, I know Darien's evil, but Serena's got a few cards up her sleeve too.  
  
Akumura: I'm really glad you think my lovely ficling has potential. I hope this chapter hasn't disappointed you.  
  
Usako4life: *chuckles* Everyone seems to think so. He's really a sweetie deep down. But when I show that side of him is the only problem. *wink*  
  
Illusioner 1412: Wow, no mistakes at all? Are you for real? I'm amazed. Kind of sad, isn't it?  
  
Aurora: Whoo-hoo! You think my fic's great! How wicked is that? 


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